Thursday, January 31, 2013

Rewind everyone to 1986! Metal was everywhere. Turn on the radio and
you'd get blasted with the latest singles by Motley Crue, Whitesnake,
David Lee Roth (now solo) and Van Halen (or was that Van Hagar!). MTV
and Canada's Much Music played an endless amount of Poison, Wasp, Ratt
and Def Leppard. Life was good for a sixteen year old headbanger like
myself.

As is always the case, when something becomes popular and makes people
money then open the flood gates because here comes more and more and
more of the same. Eighty-six probably marked the first huge wave of new,
younger bands to flood the metal scene. Record companies were signing
every big haired, mascara and spandex wearing rockers to cash in on the hard rock movement.

My good buddy Howard, had an older brother who would turn us on to new
bands. I remember sometime in 85, Howard came over to my house with two
of his brothers albums. He was super excited for me to hear his new
"find". It was a badge of honour with my friends to get to say "I
discovered so and so first".

Well that day we played the first two Black n Blue albums and I probably
recorded them on cassette tape to listen later in my walkman. These
albums were great, Hold on to 18, Without Love, Wicked Bitch, Bombastic
Plastic all great melodic metal. These guys were cool, great find my
friend!

So in 1986 I was eagerly awaiting the new record from this band out of
Portland. The hype on this new record in metal circles was big
especially for a Kiss geek like myself. It turns out that Gene Simmons
himself had taken the band into the studio and was producing Black n
Blue's third album. Magazines were telling stories of special guests
like Ron Keel and Peter Criss! I couldn't wait for this album to come
out.

From the opening chords of the title track "Nasty Nasty" it was love at
first listen for me. Once Jaime St James "hawks the loogie" and the bass
kicks in I knew I would love this album. Halfway through the song my
ears picked up on a riff that I had heard before. Seems Gene Simmons had
a hand in the songwriting here and recycled one of the riffs from "Only
You" off of Kiss's Elder album.

It wasn't the first time or the last that Gene Simmons "recycled" and it
didn't bother me in the least. Besides, maybe he figured that since
nobody bought the Elder, who would know? Personally I loved how the riff
worked within the song and as a Kiss geek I thought it was kinda cool.

From there the album is a pretty solid melodic metal album. Riffing
guitars and pounding drums and Jaime St James belting out rockers like
"12 O'clock High", Does She or Doesn't She", "Kiss of Death". One thing
that really stood out at the time was the lack of a "ballad". Some might
argue that "I"ll Be There For You" (the only song not produced by Gene)
took that role, but really its more of a mid-tempo rocker heavily laden
with keyboards. A great song that I am still puzzled didn't take Black n
Blue to the next level.

Closing out the album is "Best In The West" a rip roaring rocker that
brought out "rock n roll outlaw" Ron Keel and the familiar rasp of the
"Catman" Peter Criss. Ron Keel's signature wail is so recognizable and
to hear Peter rocking out again was amazing. A killer way to close out
an album that in this writers opinion, should have done much better. Contrary to the opinions of Chris and Aaron, Nasty Nasty remains one
of my favourite albums from 1986.

This album review is dedicated to my good friend Howard Holmes, still miss you buddy.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Continuing our journey through 1986, Chris and Aaron jump right into their spandex pants and get things rolling. Chris gets the shredding started with his first pick, Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Do You Wanna Make Love?"

Not just one former Kiss guitarist was busy in 1986. The same year Vinnie Vincent invaded, Mark St. John also released new music with White Tiger. The self titled debut album also featured Mike Norton (Mark's brother) on bass and David Donato on lead vocals. Aaron's pick from the album is "Runaway".

Keeping in line with the Kiss Guitar Tri-fecta, next up is a band produced by Gene Simmons and featuring future Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer. Black n Blue release Nasty Nasty and the title track is chosen as the third pick of the show.

Always room for Motorhead "Built for Speed" from 86's Orgasmatron album is Aaron's next pick. Although with such a heavy, awesome album it was tough to choose just one.

Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album released in 1986 would go on to be the best selling album of 1987. The hits from this album are still played every hour on mainstream radio so Chris chooses to spin "Social Disease" one of the few songs from this album not normally heard on the radio.

Aaron's pick, "Face the Day" comes from Great White's second album Shot In The Dark. This album was an independent release and was the catalyst to them signing with Capital Records.

The mighty Iron Maiden released Somewhere In Time in 1986 and Chris chooses "Sea of Madness". Up the Irons!!

Aaron's up next with "Slip of the Lip" from Sunset strip rockers Ratt. Ratt's Dancing Undercover album was their third release and although it didn't fare as well in sales as their previous release it did reach #26 on the US charts.

1986 was a banner year for thrash metal and of course Aaron chooses to assault our ears with some Slayer. Reign in Blood, some say the prototypical thrash metal album and Aaron spins "Raining Blood"

After the onslaught of pure evil, Chris gets melodic and a little spiritually uplifting with Styper. "Calling On You" from the To Hell With The Devil album is about as far from Slayer as you can possibly get but goes to show how diverse metal can be.

Right back into the thrash scene, Megadeth released Peace Sells But Who's Buying in 1986 as Dave Mustaine continued his personal war with Metallica. "Wake Up Dead" is Chris's choice from this metal masterpiece.

Blackie and the boys in WASP release Inside The Electric Circus. The last album to feature Steve Riley on drums as he would leave to join LA Guns. Aaron chooses "The Rock Rolls On" for your dining and dancing pleasure.

One of Canada's greatest exports the Killer Dwarfs are busy in 1986 releasing Stand Tall and going on the road with Iron Maiden. "Believe In Me" is Chris's next choice as we start to wind down this incredible year of music.

One band that definitely embraced past influences and created a sound that would help mold the alternative movement of the 90's was Bad Brains. In 1986 they released I Against I, their 3rd studio album. Chris' choice of Secret 77 is a marriage between early 80's punk-meets-reggae and what would become the genre of grunge a few short years later.

Aaron's last pick of the night is Tesla's "EZ Come, EZ Go" from 1986's Mechanical Resonance album. A dirty, gritty no-nonsense rock band, Tesla seemed far removed from much of the spandex and hairspray of the day.

What do you get when you cross four hot ROCKIN guys who wear blush and lipstick better than a 15year old girl on a Friday night? POISON!

In 1986, when Poison bust on the scene, the scene wasn't ready for them, but damn it the scene got ready. Poison's line up at that time (Bret Michaels-lead singer, C.C. DeVille-guitar, Bobby Dall-bass and Rikki Rockett-drums) came out with pure raw aggression, and ALOT of MAKE UP. Their first album "Look What The Cat Dragged In" not only showcased how dedicated and hungry the band was, but it also catapulted them to super stardom almost over night and started a whole new genre of metal, glam metal!

To the untrained eye, the guys look like a set of hot Sunset Strip strippers out on the town. But once you get close, maybe cop a feel and see an Adams Apple, you realize she is a he! I gotta admit, C.C did show a girl (me) how to apply eyeshadow correctly. But what set them apart, was that they actually had song writing skills and talent.

As with any album 'Look', has its share of hits, along with one particular song that was pretty over looked. I never thought of how good this song was til now. The song 'Play Dirty' is that song. From start to finish, 'Play' is just one big ride of sweat, guitar riffs and women doing stripper moves on candy poles. How this song was passed up as a single is beyond me.

Bret Michaels vocals are flawless on this track. Unlike 'Talk Dirty' or 'I Want Action', you can actually feel yourself in the recording studio on this one. But seriously, this song should've not only been a single, but it would've made a great video. Not to say none of their songs were(are) great, but the producers really missed the train with this song.

The song reminds me of 'Girls, Girls,Girls'. In a sense of the way he sings about what sounds like a typical Friday night. Just like I wanted to move to California after , become a dancer(like every parent wants to hear that), and fall in love with Nikki Sixx (yes HONESTLY...don't judge me) after I heard Vince sing his ode to strippers across the nation. I wanted to find 'Tattoo Willie' and let him put his mark some where while we watch the boys across at the pool hall spill out into the street and fist fight for bragging rights.

Poison eventually went on to record a total of 7 albums with a slew of hit songs under their belts. Sadly, they soon became the typical band that did themselves in with their own demons. But the real kicker was in C.C. Started one song, then went on his own into another. Any real true metal fan remembers the MTV video awards when C.C started playing 'Unskinny Bop', then went into 'Talk Dirty To Me' on LIVE TELEVISION!! By this point it was obvious that C.C. Was becoming what we call here a SNOW GLIDER, his face and body showed it. Short end, C.C got clean, and along with Bret became a reality tv star. The band eventually reunited, and began touring again. This past summer they toured with Def Leppard and Lita Ford.

I'm guessing everyone who visits this site is already familiar with Mr. Big, the band featuring Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey, but are you familiar with Mr. Big, the band featuring Dicken, Eddie Carter, Mike Higgins, Simon Saunders, and Paul Gibbens?

That's right, fourteen years before the American band Mr. Big released their debut album the British band Mr. Big released theirs. It was called Sweet Silence. Check it out:

Mr. Big formed in the late sixties as Burnt Oak. Their manager took the liberty of changing their name for them, to Mr. Big, in 1972. In 1974 they signed with Epic Records in the UK and released several singles before their debut album, Sweet Silence, came out in 1975. Much of the album is quite heavy for the time and singer Dicken certainly gives it his all. The band played all over Europe, opening for Queen and Sweet, among others. In 1977 Clive Davis signed the band to Arista Records in America and they released a self-titled album. It garnered them little attention stateside but they scored a top five single in the UK with Romeo. Not a great song, in my opinion.

In 1978 the band entered Abbey Road studios with the inestimable Ian Hunter at the helm to record their third album, to be titled Seppuku, which is a form of Japanese ritual suicide. You know, a guy sits cross-legged on the ground, preferably in the public square, takes a sword and...ouch. Seppuku is a really good album, but the label, EMI, shelved it. The album went unreleased until 2001, when Angel Air finally rescued it from the dustbin of history. The title track is amazing:

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

I vividly remember the first time I heard Cinderella. Up here in Canada we had a show called Toronto Rocks, a one hour music video show that aired every day at 4pm. On Wednesday's it was "Midweek Metal Mania" and since I was usually at my after school job during this time, I would have our Sony Betamax (yeah my Dad still insisted it was better than VHS) programmed to record each and every Wednesday so I could watch and re-watch all the hard rock and heavy metal videos of the day.

Cinderella's "Shake Me" video came on one day and this song reached through the TV grabbed me by the throat and pun intended "shook me"! Tom's voice was like nothing I had ever heard, loud raw and raspy. I loved the way they swung the guitars around in the video and Cinderella became my "find". I was the first of my friends to pick up "Night Songs" their debut album and I was not disappointed as it is still one of my favourite albums today.

Night Songs opens with an epic intro that leads into the title track, a moody mid-tempo's rocker that gets things rolling. "Shake Me" has the band rocking out and singing about SEX with Tom Keifer's signature rasp. From there the album showcases Cinderella's bluesy, brand of sleaze rock. A little more metal than their future releases and that might just be why it is still my favourite Cinderella album. "Once Around The Ride", "Hell On Wheels" and "Push Push" kept the album rocking hard as hard as their hair was high.

Halloween night 1986, David Lee Roth brought the "Eat em and Smile" tour to Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens and opening up that night was Cinderella. I was 16, and was so excited for this show as I bought both a Cinderella and a David Lee Roth t-shirt (this was before they got so expensive you had to get bank loans to buy a shirt)

The houselights went down and the intro music to Night Songs came through the P.A. and I jumped to my feet. Cinderella kicked in and played a great warm up set playing through almost all of the debut album. I didn't exactly have good seats but I will never forget the one thing that happened during their set. Many of you know how Jeff LaBar and Eric Brittingham are known for swinging their guitars around their body while playing. It looks so cool but sometimes relying on the strap isn't always a great idea and on this night something went wrong.

Jeff flung his guitar with reckless abandon and either the strap broke or the strap button came loose. Either way, the guitar came away from his body slamming into the stage at breakneck speed. The sound that resulted was a little ugly until the sound man was able to kill the feedback, but Jeff just shrugged and took it all in stride. He soon strapped on a backup six string and continued on. I can't remember what was said but Tom teased him about it after the song was done and again he just shrugged all innocent like. Was quite funny actually and very rock n roll.

Produced by Andy Johns, "Night Songs" would go on to sell in excess of 3 million copies as the band would tour with Bon Jovi on their massively successful Slippery When Wet tour. Although my favourite track "Shake Me" failed to chart, follow up singles "Nobody's Fool" and "Somebody Save Me" saw Cinderella all over MTV. All three videos were linked together playing up Cinderella's evil step sister story line. A move that although predictable, was very well done and solidified the band as MTV darlings beyond the debut album. Overall one of many great albums to land in '86.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Hello and welcome to my blog series concerning The Monsters of Rock Cruise: The Lost Weekend 2013. I am The Meister, I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in last year's inaugural Monsters of Rock Cruise and I'm extremely pumped to experience it all over again this year.

MEISTER'S "VIEWS OF THE CRUISE" - VOLUME #5 - SAXON'S NIGEL GLOCKLER

Included here for this week's instalment is a little bio of Nigel Glockler and his tenure with one of my favourite bands of all time , followed by an interview with the long time drummer..............May I present SAXON!

Saxon played the very first Monsters of Rock festival in Donnington, England in 1980. The Barnsley boys were even the first band to have a return
engagement at the legendary Monsters of Rock in 1982 and now, continuing their
long relationship with Monsters of Rock, they are poised to set sail on the MSC Poesia in March 2013 on the Monsters of Rock Cruise: The Lost Weekend. Nigel Glockler was there in 1982 and and will be aboard ship thirty years later as well.

Saxon was born in Barnsley, England as a conglomeration of two bands, Son Of A Bitch and Coast, keeping the S.O.B. moniker. They were signed to French label Carrere, changed their name to Saxon and released the self titled début in 1979. They followed up with Wheels of Steel (1980) a year later and hot on the heels of that successful record came Strong Arm of the Law (1980) and then Denim & Leather (1981).

Nigel Glockler really brings the Heavy Metal Thunder with his
thunderous drum beats resonating around the arena as Saxon rules the
stage. Born in Hove, East Sussex, England, Nigel began his professional music
career as a member of the UK
unit Krakatoa. He then joined
singer/actress Toyah Wilcox’s band later in the year of 1980. Things really fell into place for Nigel Glockler
in 1981 when, then drummer and original founding member, Pete Gill of Saxon
suffered a hand injury. Glockler was originally hired as a
temporary fill-in while Gill waited out doctor enforced rest. Gill in the mean time accepted an offer to join Lemmy’s Motorhead,
making way for Glockler to be inducted into the Saxon ranks on a full-time
basis. The bass player from Glockler’s
first band, Krakatoa happened to be Saxon’s manager at the time. Nigel was under pressure right from the
get-go. Saxon was about to embark on
their huge tour in support of the successful Denim & Leather record when
they recruited him to replace Pete Gill.
He was challenged with the immense task of learning the entire set in only a
day and a half in preparation for the first show!! Obviously he persevered, they toured
heavily in the UK
and even made a historic return appearance at the legendary Monsters of Rock
Festival in Donnington, being the first band to do so.

Glockler’s first recording with Saxon became
the 1982 release entitled The Eagle Has Landed a live album recorded during the
1981 tour. The record saw chart success,
reaching number 5 in the UK.

Glockler’s next release with Saxon was their fifth and
highest selling album to date, 1983’s Power & The Glory. This was their first
recording done in the USA and features a different sound that I've seen referred
to as “like it was recorded in a tin can”.
I think this album fits superbly in Saxon’s catalogue. The lyrics on this record shifted towards a
medieval/fantasy theme.

1984 saw the boys move to EMI record label and offer up
Crusader, continuing with the medieval/fantasy themes started on The Power
& The Glory. Interestingly though Pete
Gill is credited for song collaboration on Prelude and Crusader. Set Me Free was a cover of
Sweet penned by Andy Scott. The album
sold over two million copies.

Innocence Is No Excuse was the next Saxon outing and took on
a more radio friendly sound, confusing and alienating some of the fan base that
had seen them as NWOBHM pioneers. Critics
and fans alike have warmed up to the recording over the years since it’s
release and tracks like Rock & Roll Gypsy do surface in live sets. Songs like Broken Heroes did make regular airplay
on MTV, helping introduce them to American audiences.

Original member and bassist Steve Dawson decided to leave
Saxon in the beginnings of 1986 which left the boys without a bassist for the
recording of their next record entitled Rock The Nations. Biff recorded the bass parts and soon after
they hired Paul Johnson, who was credited on the album sleeve. Elton John also played piano as a guest on
two tracks, Party Til You Puke and Northern Lady.

Glockler briefly left Saxon in 1987 to join GTR. GTR was a supergroup originally founded in
1985 by Steve Howe from Yes and Asia and Steve
Hackett from Genesis. By 1987 Hackett had departed and Howe tried to soldier
on. Ultimately the band folded and Nigel returned
to Saxon by late 1988. In his absence
from The Wheels of Steel, Glockler only missed one album in the 1988 release of
Destiny.

His first release after returning was the second live album
Rock & Roll Gypsies (how fitting his very first was a live and now his
return marked by a live album). By now
Paul Johnson had left and Nibbs Carter stepped into the bass role, this being
his first album appearance.

Solid Ball Of Rock came in 1991 and with Carter writing or
co-writing seven of the eleven tracks he proved to breathe new life into the Barnsley boys.
Starting off with the pounding anthem of the title track it was easy to
see (hear) that Saxon was back to form on this offering. The song co-written by Glockler, Requiem (We Will Remember) is an amazing tribute to all
those musicians that have passed on. I
Just Can’t Get Enough is another stand out cut sounding a little like Bad
Company to me. All in all, a solid
effort and a favourite in my Saxon Library.

Just a year later, a rejuvenated Saxon, saw Forever Free hit the
shelves. The single Iron Wheels was
co-written by front man Biff Byford and Drummer Nigel Glockler and was about
and dedicated to Byford’s father who worked in the coal mines of Yorkshire. Forever
Free was an even bigger return to their solid heavy metal roots that started with
Sold Ball of Rock, abandoning the pursuit of American rock radio success.

A three year break we would have to wait until we saw Dogs
of War get released. Biff would come to
write in the remastered re-release from 2006 that “The album did have it’s
problems, mostly with Graham Oliver….” Oliver was reportedly fired after recording the album for trying to sell
recordings of 1980’s Donnington performance behind the band’s back and was
replaced by Doug Scarratt, long-time friend of Nigel Glockler. Not a bad track on the album, this is a solid
honest metal album completing the guys return to their roots.

Saxon unleashed the beast in 1997’s Unleash The Beast
record. This was the first to feature
Doug Scarratt. Some of the stand out tracks here are
Terminal Velocity, The Thin Red Line, Ministry of Fools and The Preacher.

Ten years after his brief hiatus with GTR Nigel Glockler had
to step down as drummer for Saxon having been advised by doctors not to play
drums due to torn muscles in his neck and shoulder.

But he did however remain involved with Saxon, writing
material for albums Metalhead in 1999 and 2001’s Killing Ground. Saxon also released Lionheart in 2004 containing the excellent track Beyond The Grave. Nigel returned as Saxon’s drummer again in 2005
with his first album back being The Eagle Has Landed part III, you guessed it……a
live recording! This double live disc came out in 2006 and featured live
recordings of classic Saxon and new songs alike.

Glockler’s first studio album after getting situated once
again behind the kit was 2007’s Inner Sanctum, the band’s seventeenth
album. The album was once again heralded
by critics as some of the best work in years.
Lemmy Kilmister, Angry Anderson and Andi Deris were featured as guest
appearances. Glockler was tested
immediately as the album starts out with a truly frantic pace assaulting the
listener for the first three tracks before settling down a little into what has
been cited as possibly their best album of the early 2000’s.

Into The Labyrinth was unleashed in 2009 and continued the
sound and success of Inner Sanctum. This strong release comes 30 years after their self titled, rather quirky début album
hit shelves.

Saxon put forth their Call To Arms in 2011, another
excellent disc, every track sounding new and fresh while staying true to their NWOBHM roots. For the recording of the
track Back In ’79 Saxon did something very cool and invited fans to visit the
studio one night and be a part of the recording. The tour for Call To Arms brought Saxon to Toronto for the first time
in over 20 years, and thankfully I was able to make the show! The Barnsley
boys put on a stripped down, straight ahead rock and roll performance that seemed like they were possessed by the energizer bunny, to just keep going and going as they played
song after song.

Now with 2013 approaching we eagerly await Glockler and
Saxon’s newest release due to drop in February, entitled Sacrifice. The album being produced by Andy Sneap from fame of Accept’s latest (arguable best ever) releases.

MEISTER: What got you interested in music and being a drummer? Who
are your idols and who biggest influences?

NIGEL:Istarted playing when I was seven or eight - it was noticed by a family friend that I was constantly tapping along to records, radio etc from about the age of five so he persuaded my dad to get me a snare drum - I'd done the usual before that - biscuit tins, metal plates etc. The Shadows had the best drummer back then. After that I was listening to all the usual stuff - Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, Who, Small Faces, etc etc. The first band I was really nuts about was Grand Funk Railroad - their gig in Hyde Park, London, was my first concert.The second was Black Sabbath on the Masters Of Reality tour - and Bill Ward amazed me - I'd never seen anyone hit so hard! For me, he was Sabbath - along with Tony. Then prog came along - Yes, Genesis, Aphrodites Child, Gentle Giant - this was brilliant stuff . Then fusion happened - Billy Cobham, Lenny White, all that Return to Forever stuff, Eleventh House with Alphonse Mouzon. Of course Rush was happening too during most of this. Musically now, I listen to everything except rap and Hip Hop. I actually love listening to Russian Orthodox Choral music!- no drumming there! Drummer-wise, Simon Phillips is my favourite player, plus Neil Peart, Vinnie Coliuta - oh, too many to mention, but I've just really got back into Joe Morello - great, great player. Everything I've ever listened to has, I'm sure, had some influence on me, whether drumming, or composing.

MEISTER: Your first band was called Krakatoa?

NIGEL: Yes, that was my first professional band. Around that time - mid seventies - I was doing the usual stuff, playing in local bands - in fact I had been doing so while still at school - but the band I was in at that time, Bel Air, had decided to split up and we were booked to play our last gig at a pub in Brighton, our home town - The Alhambra, now sadly demolished - however we were double booked with a band from London so we let them play as they'd travelled down. While watching them a guy came over, asked my name, and said there were some people at the bar who wanted to talk to me - turned out it was a couple of guys from Krakatoa who we all knew were a proper pro band. They asked if I'd be interested in having a jam with them as they needed a new drummer - the end result was that I joined them and we spent nearly three years gigging around the UK until the New Wave thing killed us as we couldn't get a record deal, even though we were selling out small theatres and Town Hall gigs - we did a pile of demos with a producer called Robin Black, who worked with Jethro Tull, Sabbath etc, all to no avail! Incidentally, the keyboard player was Hans Zimmer, who does loads of film soundtrack work! And the guitarist, Roger Adams, is a co-writer with me on a lot of TV music that i do here in my studio at home.

MEISTER: Is there any connection with the Saxon song of the same name from 1985?

NIGEL: No not really - it was just a subject that we were interested in - maybe the Krakatoa band name came up in conversation but I really can't remember. Actually, I think it's a great track!

MEISTER: And from there you joined Toyah Wilcox? Who is that and
what style of music did that band play?

NIGEL: That came a bit later on - after the Krakatoa thing fell apart, I got myself involved in doing sessions - through this I met various record company people and was asked to audition for a New Wave band called After The Fire, who had a few big hits during this period - a friend of mine was playing with a guy called Bruce Woolley who had himself been involved with Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn - together they wrote Video Killed The Radio Star, Clean, Clean, and others - Geoff and Trevor broke away and formed the Buggles while Bruce formed his own band and released an album under the moniker of Bruce Woolley And The Camera Club - Thomas Dolby was on keys - anyway, they asked me if I'd like to have a blast with them as a warm up for my audition, and little did I know their plan was to audition me for their band, which I duly joined. But an A and R guy at CBS, who Bruce was signed to, screwed us up for the second album, by putting us with a producer we didn't want and the end result was a binned album - a great pity because the songs were great but the production was dire and we took the fall as CBS wouldn't put any more finance into rerecording the record. So it was back to session work and it was through this that I was asked to play on a Toyah release - she'd had three albums out and was changing the band around for her new single. We recorded this and went on tour, after which we wrote and recorded her next album which was very successful, and toured again to totally sold out venues. Musically, I guess it's quite arty pop music - Toyah, incidentally, is married to Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame.

MEISTER: And from there you found your way to Saxon. How did that all come about?

NIGEL: The bass player from Krakatoa had become one of Saxon's managers and rang me up asking if I'd help them out for the Denim And Leather tour as Pete Gill had damaged his hand/fingers.

MEISTER: I read somewhere that it was a very quick thing when you
joined Saxon, having only a day and a half to learn the entire set of music for
the start of the Denim & Leather tour?

NIGEL: Yep - I had a blow with them on Sunday and the tour was starting on Wednesday, in my home town I might add - I was a fan of the band and had bought tickets to see the show!! I really had two days to learn nineteen songs in - we moved to the Brighton Centre on the Monday - they were doing pre-production rehearsals there - and I hammered through the songs, making notes as I went. The show went OK actually - think I screwed one thing up but nobody seemed to notice!! After a few more gigs I ended up joining them.

MEISTER: Another thing that I have read somewhere was that you
fell off of the stage one night on your first tour in the U.S.A.?

NIGEL: No, that wasn't on the first tour and I didn't actually fall off the stage either - that happened during a US tour with Iron Maiden - I jumped down the stairs at the end of our show and landed on a large coil of cable hidden under a carpet resulting in my ankle going over and, according to the doctors at the nearby hospital, nearly ripping the ligaments clean off - they said I was lucky as I was nearly at the point where I'd never walk again. The result was my left leg being in a cast for a couple of weeks, and having to use crutches to and from the stage each night. That was quite an eventful tour as one night I set my drum riser on fire during my solo!

MEISTER: What was it like working with a legend like Elton
John? I understand that if you can
listen closely you can hear him swearing as he cut his finger on one of the
piano keys during the recording, but I myself have never heard it.

NIGEL: I've never heard that one either! But Elton was great, as was his band - became good mates with his drummer Charlie Morgan. Elton would come in with outrageous clothes on under a raincoat - multi-coloured beach shirts and matching shorts!! - different every day. He and his band would spend hours in our studio instead of theirs next door, grooving along to our tracks. A funny story was that it was the first World Cup football tournament since the Falklands War (I think!) - so there's about twenty or so Brits eating dinner in the dining area of the studio - us, some of our crew, and Elton's guys and crew - and this guy walks in to see his mate serving at the bar and he's wearing a complete Argentinian football strip - as one we all turned to look at him and glared and he didn't stay long!!!!

MEISTER: I hear that there were some wild stories during that
recording session (Rock the Nations), like Paul ramming his BMW into a
tram? What happened? Was he OK?

NIGEL: That happened much later in Vienna during the recording of Forever Free. Yep, he was fine!! I guess he thought the tram could and would swerve - of course it couldn't and it didn't!!! Rock The Nations was quite a sedate album to make compared to some!!

MEISTER: How does the creative process happen for a Saxon song or
album? I see that some albums, like
Innocence Is No Excuse for example, was mainly written by Biff and Dawson where
as other albums are more group collaborations, why the difference?

NIGEL: We were going through a lot of litigation with Carrere records at that time, and not touring because of it so, because Biff and Steve lived near each other, they just got together whilst we were off the road - once we got together in the studio some other songs were written.

Generally, once we get together in a rehearsal studio, everyone brings in any ideas and we thrash them about and basically turn them into songs. There has to be a starting point, say a riff or melody or rhythmic idea etc - you can't just go 'one, two, three, play!!' That's a general rule of thumb with our albums nowadays. Everyone works on ideas at home and brings them to the studio and, providing everyone likes them, they'll then get Saxonised!

MEISTER: You co-wrote the song Requiem (We Will Remember) for
1991’s Solid Ball of Rock record. One of
my favourite Saxon tracks, tell me about the song.

NIGEL: We just decided to do a track dedicated to all the musicians that had passed on up to that time - that's about it really - a lot of them had influenced us individually during our formative years of learning our instruments etc.

MEISTER: In 1987 you took a brief Hiatus from Saxon to join the
“super group” GTR. What led to that move
and where did GTR go?

NIGEL: I was really pissed off at Saxon's management so wanted to leave and then I got a call, whilst in the US, from GTR's management offering me the gig - I'd been recommended by Phil Spalding, the bassist, who I'd been in Toyah with. We started recording the second album but things obviously weren't right within the band - Steve Hackett had left and there was a lot of tension around so it all imploded after a while - which is a great shame as I think that album, had we finished it, would have been superb. Someone has got hold of the unfinished tapes, demo's etc, and released them, and, I have to say, it sounds awful, but, had we been able to complete it, a great album would have been the result. I then went on to do some playing on Steve Howe's next album and another one he was involved with. Also, through GTR I met Geoff Downes and hence played on the Asia album 'Aqua'.

MEISTER: Then you left again in 1998 due to an injury, but were
still involved with the band in song writing? How did you injure yourself and how did it
feel being sidelined for that time?

NIGEL: I ripped a muscle between my neck and my shoulder but didn't notice it at first as it was probably only a tiny nick - I think it happened in Brazil whilst playing a rental kit - my kit can be set up to within a millimetre every night but that little extra stretch on a rental kit, maybe going for a china cymbal? - that's what did it. Then we went to Sweden and it started hurting as I guess I was tearing it more and more each night. I went to chiropractors, osteopaths etc, thinking I'd done something to my neck but an eventual visit to my doctor sussed it and he said I had to stop for around five months to let the tear heal - that's how i got into doing the TV music - and I played an intro to Metalhead and by the time they were ready to write Killing Ground, I was OK to drum, so I went up to the studio for the first writing sessions and co-wrote four tracks for that album. I also had Doug and Paul over to my studio to get formative ideas for Lionheart. All this time I was actually enjoying not being on the road and concentrating on writing at home so I wasn't the least bit bothered about being sidelined - in fact I was very happy!

MEISTER: Your first Saxon album was The Eagle Has Landed, a live
recording from the Denim & Leather tour.
After your brief hiatus in 1987 you returned with the live album Rock
& Roll Gypsies and then ten years later your last album was The Eagle Has
Landed Part II and your return in 2005 was marked by The Eagle Has Landed Part
III. Is that just co-incidence with all
the live albums marking your returns to the band and is it making you
superstitious about releasing live recordings?

NIGEL: Ha! - interesting! However, The Eagle Has Landed part 2 wasn't the last one before I left - it was Unleash The Beast! - no, I'm not that superstitious although I do have a certain ritual before I go on stage - no big deal but I try to stick to it during a tour - as to what time I start getting ready, warm-up time etc.

MEISTER: So, what are the respective stories behind the departures
of Steve Dawson and Graham Oliver?

NIGEL:I really think all that's been covered before in the documentary and a lot of it is quite personal.

MEISTER: What happened with the name dispute and have you heard
any of the Oliver Dawson Saxon CD?

NIGEL: Basically they were told they could use the Saxon name along with their names using a different font and of equal size - that's it! As for the album, I've heard a few things.

NIGEL: That was Doug and I writing some stuff in the vein of music that had influenced us down the years, or stuff we really like to listen to now. It was great as we didn't have to stick to any one genre of material - we did what we liked and what pleased us. It was done on a very low budget but it's had some great reviews, a lot of it is being used in TV land, and I think there's more in the pipeline - however, I might go back and revisit a couple of the tracks and play around with them when I have some time - maybe re-do some parts or take them somewhere else - 'Snow-capped' springs to mind here, although I'm very pleased with the version as it is. I just love playing around on keyboards!

MEISTER: I see that you are credited (along with Biff and Nibbs)
on Fastway’s Bad Bad Girls CD from 1990 as very special guests. What role did you play for the band and how
were they to work with?

NIGEL: Nibbs had already played on the previous Fastway album so he was booked straight away for the next one and Lea asked me to do some drum tracks - Biff did some backing vocals. Lea was very meticulous in what he wanted - we had a big joke that there were to be no big drum fills - as in the Hawaii Five-O intro - which is what we called them. Lea wanted it as straight ahead as possible. Nibbs and I did quite a bit of work for Lea after that - Paul Di'Anno, a Japanese cartoon soundtrack etc.

MEISTER: Also listed on your website are several other albums that you've done work on, Celtic Spirit or Paul Di’Anno for example. What are your most memorable, other than Saxon
of course?

NIGEL: Every album has it's own memories - the Asia one was fun, and convenient, as it was done in a studio not far from where I live, and I love working with Geoff. The Tony Martin album was good fun too, and it introduced me to Revolution Studios in Cheadle Hume, near Manchester, where we ended up doing the drum tracks for Dogs Of War. Celtic Spirit was an ethnic ambient type album on which I had one co-written track. I just love writing different genres of material as well as playing on it. This is what I enjoy so much when I'm doing my TV library/film stuff - one day I can be in the mood to do something really heavy like an industrial metal track a la Rammstein - lots of riffy guitars and angry synths, and yet, the next day, I turn into Vangelis and do something ambient and dreamy!

MEISTER: Although you weren't with the band for the first time
around, what was it like playing the Monsters of Rock festival, being the first
band to make a returning performance in 1982?
You’re also booked on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2013, that’s a long
standing relationship with the Monsters of Rock festivals.

NIGEL: We had to fly back after doing a show with Rainbow in Dallas - That gig was a bit of a nightmare for me personally - not on the playing - front I might add, but the management decided my tech should stay in the US and a roadie, who I'd never met, and who had never set up my kit, let alone seen it, should look after my gear - ludicrous!! - I ended up putting on a long coat over my stage gear, plus a hat, so I could set up my own drums! I was so pissed off at that! Otherwise, the gig went great and that was the biggest crowd I'd played to up to then. I'm looking forward to the cruise - I just love being on the sea!

MEISTER: Saxon is confirmed to headline the rock stage at Sweden
Rock 2013 (I'm planning to make the trip from Canada) and you've promised to
bring the “Heavy Metal Thunder” production.
What is that? I've only seen you
once in Toronto
last year, a small club show and the stage presence was mesmerizing.

NIGEL: We did that show at Wacken this year - it's a big production with gas jets, fire, loads of lights, and a levitating drum riser!!! - should be fun!!

MEISTER: That Toronto
show marked the first time in 20 years that you had played there. Why so long?

NIGEL: No-one asked us to come back - it's all down to promoters - if we're not asked then we can't play there.

MEISTER: What’s it like playing a huge festival versus a club
show? Which do you prefer? And with such
an immense back catalogue of music, how do you guys go about deciding on the set list for your shows?

NIGEL: I find it more nerve racking playing a club - the audience is so close! I definitely prefer huge festivals. With festivals we generally do a greatest hits package as do most bands. When we're touring an album then that takes precedence over everything - that's why you're there - to promote the new album. But it is so difficult to decide on a set list and, the more albums we release, the harder it gets!!

MEISTER: How was the feeling of the band during the different
eras? And how does that affect the stage
performances? When you started Eagle-Crusader (early 80’s)? Innocence-Solid Ball of Rock (late 80’s)?
Forever Free-Unleash The Beast (mid 90’s)?
Metalhead-Into The Labyrinth (2000’s) and Call To Arms-Sacrifice
(2010’s).

NIGEL: When I joined the band it was on the up so to speak so the mood and camaraderie were at optimum level. Power and The Glory was a wonderful time for the band but we got brought down to earth with Crusader - we didn't like the production but the songs were great - however, it went on to sell well so what do we know? - we felt it could have been even better. I loved 'Rock The Nations' - personally I prefer it to 'Innocence', which I felt was over-produced - it sounds like a band to me - I thought 'Innocence' was a little sterile. But it was the touring of 'Nations' that made me want to leave - I got really bad food poisoning in the US but we couldn't afford to cancel any shows so I just had to suffer, and I hated management for that! Solid Ball was like a new birth of the band - we were still playing smaller venues but the excitement had picked up and things eventually got better with 'Dogs Of War' and 'Unleash The Beast' - by then Doug had joined the band and it was sounding fresh again as everyone was on the same wavelength. I can't really comment on the next three albums as I generally wasn't there but 'Sanctum' was a great high for me - we were all writing some great material, I'd had a long break from intense drumming and had grown to love that instrument again - and I loved the tour that followed. And that brings us up to the present - i think we're still getting better and better as players, songwriters etc.

MEISTER: Saxon’s new album is set to drop in February, called Sacrifice
and produced by Andy Sneap. What can we
expect from this record? How involved in the writing process were you?

NIGEL: Everyone was very involved writing-wise - as I've said, there has to be a starting point for each song, be it a riff, or keyboard idea, a drum pattern, melody, title, or whatever, and I personally think this album's a killer - but that's just my humble opinion! Andy's done a wonderful job on it - I was determined that there should be no samples on the kit - I didn't want it to sound euro-metal like so many other bands - I love the fact that I can hear the softest snare ghost note but the mix still tears your head off!

MEISTER: What’s it like releasing a recording in this day and age
of downloading and I-tunes? Do you think
that hard copy will eventually disappear?
What do you think about the resurgence in vinyl?

NIGEL: As we all know, record sales have gone down and I think a lot of bands now make their living from playing live as opposed to album sales. I think the downloading thing is a great idea - as long as it's from legal sites - everyone's got to earn a living and music is ours so I don't think it's too much to ask for people to pay something for a track. Also, I might just want one or two tracks but not the whole album so that's great too! Re hard copies disappearing, it might happen but I hope not - sure, the convenience of having everything on an iPod etc is wonderful - gets rid of clutter in the house - but I love the fact that, if I want, I can look at a cover and see who played what on what track - for example, with Steely Dan, I can look up instantly who played a certain guitar solo and not have to go on line to find it - it's right there in my hands. I have a few vinyl releases but I'm not really that technical minded where I want to compare CD with vinyl - I just want to hear the music, the melodies etc and not piss about wondering if the bass response on the vinyl is better than the CD As long as it's a great production it'll sound fine. But I do miss the artwork on albums - Disraeli Gears by Cream is, and always will be my favourite album cover - also Wheels Of Fire - I love all that bubble writing, the loud vibrant colours - total psychedelia - brilliant!!!

MEISTER: When I get home from work I usually open a beer and kick
back with my favourite tunes on. Do you
ever listen to your music like that?

NIGEL: I like to listen to music in the car, particularly on a long journey, but even just going to the market enables me to listen to new albums etc. My wife and I have quite different musical tastes, although she loves what I do, but she hates a lot of the prog stuff I listen to so the car is my very own listening domain!!

NIGEL: That's a hard one - I have favourite tracks on each album, for instance, 'Battalions of Steel' off 'Labyrinth' - I think as whole albums, it's got to be the new one, 'Sacrifice' and "Inner Sanctum" that do it for me!

*****The Monsters of Rock: The Lost Weekend Cruise is now sold out, but you still may be able to find a cabin on this rock & roll party boat through Facebook's find a cabinmate page. Check it out and join me aboard the MSC Poesia in March 2013*****

*****If you can't join us on the voyage, but still want to catch some of the bands live in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas as cruise bands roll into town and play gigs before and after the voyage. Here's a few that I know about so far: March 13th - Faster Pussycat is playing in Cape Coral at the Dixie Roadhouse.THIS SHOW IS UNCONFIRMED AS YET! (It was my plan to attend this show, but we'll have to wait and see if it's a "go" or not)March 13th - L.A. Guns will be at Dirty Harry's in Daytona for Daytona Bikeweek. March 14th - has a packed bill for the Rockerz Gone "Wild" Pool Party at the Days Inn Bahia Cabana along with L.A. Guns, Bang Tango, Ted Poley, Glitter Boys, Pretty Little Suicide and recently announced Liberty Lush (who are currently touring with L.A. Guns). Tickets are still available for the pool party with this link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FFNRDHYN887MYMarch 15th - L.A. Guns takes the stage at Jake's Tavern in SarasotaMarch 15th - Bang Tango is at The State Theatre in St. PetersburgMarch 15th - Queensryche plays The Ritz Ybor in Tampa.March 22nd - sees Bang Tango in Jacksonville at Brewster's Pit & PubMarch 22nd - has Queensryche playing H.O.B. in Lake Buena Vista Florida.**********Watch for next week's "Views of the Cruise" as I explore the music of my esteemed countrymen joining me aboard the MSC Poesia in Volume #6*****

16 is a maddening age. You hate your parents, your siblings, your school, your life.....or at least I did. Most of the time. Part of me has always thought "Misfit" was a strong, ugly word for someone. But there I was, not really fitting in. Only because that was the way I wanted it. In high school I hovered in the outer rings of most of the social circles. I ate lunch with the nerds, I cut class and dipped Kodiak with the jocks, I did homework for the mean girls (hot chicks), and I got high with the metalheads.

The metalheads were where I found myself most. They shared their weed, the girls liked me, and I was introduced to Metallica. It was truly an addicting experience. The music I mean. Metallica's "Master of Puppets" album was just released and all my metalhead friends were getting it. Except me. Here's why? At this point in time, I was living in a strict fundamental christian home. I know, right?? And here's how fun-to-be-mental it was: I had to conceal my Stryper "To Hell With Devil" cassette inside a baseball glove up in my closet. Along with several other "Christian" rock titles. But I couldn't shake that monkey off my back. I needed that music, that energy, that aggression, that anger. So like a true addict risking it all for that next fix, I asked a friend to dub (yes, I said "DUB") me a copy on a blank cassette and for weeks it was all I listened to. On the down low of course. But it made it all better.

This album affected me euphorically in a way that is almost embarassing. At that point, I didn't even understand what most of the lyrics were, but sounds just filled my head and totally blocked everything else out and for me, right then, that was magical. The acoustic guitar intro to "Battery" created such an anticipation for the song to start, the title track "Master of Puppets" completely mesmerized me. "Disposable Heroes" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium) were among my other favorites. And still are.

This music got me through a rather forgettable period in my life and I have always considered "Master of Puppets" to be one of those pivotal albums for me and my passion for music. Some have said it's the best metal album ever recorded and I don't disagree at all. But going back to that period, I can't talk about "Master" without mentioning that later that year, September 27th, 1986, bassist Cliff Burton was killed when Metallica's tour bus rolled on a highway in Sweden. His contribution to the band up to that point is undeniable. To sum it up, this band's longevity is amazing. To still be touring, filming, and recording 27 years later is incredible. Though I am still on the bubble with "Death Magnetic". I owe "Master of Puppets" a debt of gratitude and it still remains in rotation in my iPod to this day. So pick it up, put it in, turn it up, and close your eyes. Until next time.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Diemonds are a TorontoOntario based band and while you maybe
haven’t heard of them yet, I'm sure that you will soon! They are getting out on the circuit playing tons of gigs and
making a name for themselves, something easy to do with their great songs and infectious stage performances.

Diemonds are a Toronto
based, female fronted hard rock band founded in 2006 and comprised of Priya
Panda (vocals), C.C. Diemond (guitars), Daniel DeKay (guitars), Tommy Cee
(bass) and Aiden Tranquada (drums). This
quintet issued their first full length record, The Bad Pack in October 2012 and prior to that
an EP, In The Rough in 2008. Diemonds
have brought their brand of booze soaked (sponsored by Jagermeister and Pabst Blue Ribbon, no less!) rock and roll far and wide opening for
big names such as Slash, Steel Panther (which was my first Diemonds live performance, see my review of the show: http://dbgeekshow.blogspot.ca/2012/09/diemonds-shine-brighter-than-steel.html), Jack Russell’s Great White, L.A. Guns,
Teenage Head and Faster Pussycat to name a few. They have
played at Heavy Mtl in 2012 (a two day rock festival held in Montreal,Canada),
Rocklahoma (2012) and they even made history being the first female
fronted hard rock outfit to play in the city of Shillong, India. They have toured the US and Canada on several occasions and are
hard working, relentlessly touring and always on the road. In November I went to Memphis, Tennessee to see Tora Tora's 25th anniversary concert (to read my account of that adventure:http://dbgeekshow.blogspot.ca/2012/12/25-years-of-tora-tora.html) and I even saw their CD for sale in a record
store down there, right on the shelf next to Sister Sin's new release, Now & Forever, whom Diemonds play with on February 7th as they open for the legendary Doro. Yet I can’t find The Bad Pack in a store here in Canada!
And now on January 23rd the awesome cover artwork of The Bad Pack will grace the shelves in stores of Japan in a release via Spiritual Beast Records. I even saw
The Bad Pack hit a top ten albums of 2012 list and it wasn't my own….or esteemed Decibel Geek cohort, Wally’s….lol.....both of which saw it in there, however! Ron Keel even spun a Diemonds track on his Streets of Rock & Roll radio show recently! That sounds like a band on the rise to me, better jump on this train before it blows by, leaving you in the dust! www.diemonds.net

Diemonds rolled into Barrie,
Ontario making a stop for their “Dead of WinTour” schedule last night and lit the small, but very cool Foxx Lounge venue on fire! As I entered the club I immediately liked this intimate venue with the stage on the right and the bar on the left. There was a giant screen behind the bar
showing the classic Snake Plissken and his Escape From New York movie as the first band came on
to set the stage, playing against The Bad Pack artwork backdrop. The sheer volume in the little club was
deafeningly loud, which in my ears is perfect for a real rock show!

Unfortunately I missed the name of the first band hitting the small stage, but they blasted through their set getting the crowd warmed up and into it. A little heavy for my taste in some parts (I'm not a real fan of the “Cookie Monster” style of vocals), but they were very
good and a couple of the songs had me grooving right along, the highlight being when the singer dedicated a song to his Mom down in front of the stage “'Cause Mom loves this shit!” I’ll have to investigate a bit further and
find out who they were.

Affinity, a female fronted rock band from Toronto took the stage next and they were
very good as well. The five piece band looked
quite young, but played well and were a cohesive unit even doing a decent job covering a Foo
Fighters track. They showed good stage
energy and during the last song the bass player wandered off stage and out into
the crowd. After the set I purchased
their CD, Solid Ground from singer Ashley, who seemed very nice and appreciative
of the support. She also told me that
they have been on bills with Diemonds a few times in the past.

Reportedly the next band scheduled was Outbound Flight, but
they dropped out, leaving Violet Society to take the stage next. The owner or manager (presumably) of the Foxx
Lounge gave an introduction as Violet got ready on stage. They blasted into the first song, very heavy and a good sound musically, but the vocals were not a style that I personally
prefer (Cookie Monster). They had an
excellent stage presence and obviously a bit of a following judging by the
reactions of the crowd. The singer was
extremely charismatic and was often off stage and mingling in the crowd during
the set.

Diemonds (not "Dee-mons" I should mention.....never figured out why some folks pronounce it like that) hit the stage at around midnight, assaulting us with Trick or Treat from The Bad Pack record, followed by Loud & Nasty. It was easy to see that the band was in top form this evening and were obviously loving being up on stage. Priya recommended to the crowd to tip your bartender and make sure you don't drive home as you're gonna party with Diemonds tonight for the first time since 2008! They blasted into their latest video release of Get The Fuck Outta Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wE9V2NYDz5Y) and once again, just as when I had seen them live before I was struck by Priya's beauty, but don't let that sway you, the music stands alone and her attitude and vinegar can be heard oozing through the lyrics and fuelling her stage performance. Next up was the title track to the full length début The Bad Pack and from there they played a new track that they have been working on, not sure what it was called but, damn was it good, fitting right in to the catalogue even reminding me of Motley Crue a little. Priya then let the crowd know that the band had spent the afternoon at Misty's Cafe, hanging out with some of Barrie's finest ladies. Daniel quickly added that they looked but didn't touch, he swears as they started into Take On The Night (official video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=t9kINGuPAC0) and rolled right through into an awesome AC/DC TNT cover. A personal favourite for me is Little Miss which sounded amazing live and brought C.C. and Daniel down into the audience with a sort of duelling guitar show. In the video for Livin' Tonight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3OPGjqDpkxs) the band is seen shot gunning Pabst Blue Ribbonbeers with "Deaner" from FUBAR and here on stage Daniel invited a young lady up on stage to do just that with him as they "drank a beer his way" before cranking out the song. Mystery was next which brought us into a short drum solo to lead us into the only cut from the In The Rough EP with Highway (at least I think so anyway!). They exited the stage briefly before returning and pounding out a song that Priya jokingly proclaimed that they wrote back in 1987 as they ripped through Skid Row's Youth Gone Wild. A bit Ironic perhaps as they were slated to open for Sebastian Bach a while back at The Rockpile Bar & Nightclub in Etobicoke, Ontario before Bach had to cancel the performance.

In talking with a buddy at the show, another Diemonds follower, he was even able to see them the night before in Alliston, Ontario as well, saw a guy on the Shiprocked cruise wearing the Diemonds shirt and assuming he was from Toronto struck up a conversation, quickly learning that he was actually from a southern state (forgot which one) and he had been turned on to Diemonds by their Rocklahoma performances, so the band is definitely getting noticed…..if you’re not in the know I highly recommend you correct that pronto! A Diemonds live performance is like a thrilling roller-coaster ride, if you're already familiar with Diemonds then you know what I'm saying, if you're not, I highly recommend that you rectify that and get out to catch them live as soon as you can. Here's the next few dates in Ontario and Quebec:

I've been spinning The Bad Pack CD over and over all day long after last night's show and can't wait until February 7th when I get the opportunity to see them set the stage for two other truly amazing female fronted bands in Sweden's Sister Sin (read my interview with vocalist Liv Jagrell: http://dbgeekshow.blogspot.ca/2012/11/if-this-is-sin-sister-count-me-in.html) and the "German Metal Queen" herself, Doro!